Shoe-sole vulcanizing and applying apparatus.



PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904.

G. P. BUTTERPIELD. SHOE SOLE'VULGANIZING AND APPLYING APPARATUS.

no MODEL.

W M A No. 774,865. PATENTED NOV. 15, 19042 G. F. BUTTBRFIELD.

SHOE SOLE VULGANIZING AND APPLYING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED Me. 1,1904.

no MODEL. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WT/VESSES PATENTED NOV. 15, 1904. A

G. F. BUTTBRFIELD. SHOE SOLE VULGANIZING AND APPLYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.1, 1904. Y

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A3; [7a- 5 VWT/VESSES l4; //vv/v TUB a?" gM m A UNITED STATES PatentedNovember 15, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE F. B'UTTEEEIE E BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO GEAOE 1.BUTTERFIELD, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHOE-SOLE VULCANIZING AND APPLYING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,865, dated.November 15, 1904.

Application file l August 1, 1904.

10 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, GEORGE'F. BUTTER- FIELD, of Boston, in the county ofSuffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Shoe-Sole Vulcanizing and Applying Apparatus, of whichthe following is a specification.

This invention relates to shoe-sole vulcanizing and applying apparatusof a skeleton character designed to holda leather shoe in position whilea rubber sole is secured thereon by vulcanization.

My present improvements comprise shoeholding mechanism adapted for usebetween the platens of a vulcanizing-press, to which the top and bottomplates of my mechanism are secured.

A special feature of my invention provides for temporarily connectingthe mold and the stem of the last or foot-form and making both removabletogether from the frame or holding mechanism, so that the shoe andremoved parts may cool slowly and duplicates thereof be at onceintroduced into the space vacated in the frame. To facilitate suchinsertion and removal, guides for locating the mold and grooved ways forsupporting the foot-form are provided. Adjustable clamps and pressuredevices hold and release the shoe and mold. The mold will be cast from asoft metal which will expand in cooling to facilitate removing therubber sole of the bottomed shoe therefrom when cooled. To preventoverheating the shoe-upper, a thick layer of nonconducting material maybe interposed between the bottom plate and the hot steam platen of thepress except in that portion which is beneath the mold, where full heatis required.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my apparatus with a shoe inposition on the foot-form, the pressaplatens being shown in section.Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through the stem of the foot-formon line 2 2 of Fig. 4. Fig. 3 shows the foot-form, shoe, and moldconnected together and detached from the machine, the latter-parts beingin longitudinal section. Fig. 4 is a plan View of the lower plate andparts thereon. Fig. 5 is gerial No. 219,085. (No model.)

a sectional detail of the clamp and mold, and Fig. 6 a detail of thebottom plate.

In Fig. 1 the numerals 10 and 11 represent the platens of thevulcanizing-press, the lower one being formed hollow to receive livesteam I for vulcanizing the rubber contained in the mold. The lowerplaten has a limited vertical movement with its shaft 12, to which apowerful pressure may be applied.

To the platens 10 and 11 I Secure the top and bottom plates 13 and 14 ofmy apparatus, preferably by bolts entering the platens after passingthrough holes of somewhat larger diameter in said plates, so that aslight lateral adjustment may be made, if required. (Jen'- trally on thebottom plate 14 I mount the soft-metal mold-casting 15, having a soleand heel shaped cavity which receives the unvulcanized orpartially-vulcanized rubber 16, which is to form the outsole of the shoe17. This shoe while under treatment is mounted upon a metal last orfoot-form 18, by which it is pressed firmly upon the uncured surface ofthe rubber 16. The shank or stem of this footform,is broadened at top tostand more firmly in use and is formed with parallel flanges 19,arranged to slide into grooved ways or rabbets in the edges of casting20, formed on or secured to the top plate 13. (See Fig. 2.)

The bottom plate 14 carries a plurality of adjustable marginal clamps21, four being represented in Fig. 4, one of them partially withdrawn toshow its forward edge. These clamps conform at their forward edges tothe outline of the shoe, their tips entering the angle between the upperand the welt and being pressed down upon the welt to aid in holding theshoe in position and keeping the rubber confined within the mold. Eachclamp is forked and pivoted by a ring at its outer end on a rod 22,which connects it to an interposed nut 23, having an upward extensioninternally threaded to engage the threads of a thumb-screw 24. Thethumb-screws rotate without longitudinal movement through up right ears25, formed on plate 14 at each side of the mold. Such rotation moves theclamp forward or back for proper adjustment. Each clamp is formed with adependingfoot 26 near its forward end to keep it from dropping down whenthe mold is withdrawn. It may have a non-conducting terminal button 27,as in Figs. 2 and 5. The extreme tip of each clamp has, as shown in Fig.5, a slight downward extension to bear down on the welt along a medianline, leaving above the welt a shallow space into which rubber may enterfrom the mold and cover the top and outer edge of the welt.

Downward pressureis applied to the clamps 21, as shown in Fig. 2, bymeans 'of extensible braces comprising a tubular portion 28, hinged attop to the casting 20, a two-part cylindrical core 29, reverselythreaded at adjacent ends and joined by a right and left.

hand nut 30, the parts of the core being held in place and kept fromrotation by a slot and pin 31. The upper member of the core bearsagainst aspiral spring 32 in the tubular socket, and the lower one reststerminally in an open slot on the back of the clam p. The interposedspring gives elasticity to this pressure. Rotation of the nut 30increases or relaxes it. When the tension is relaxed, the braces mayswing outwardly at foot to release the clamps.

Figs. 1 and 3 illustrate the connection of the mold and foot-form forremoval together from the other apparatus. As here shown, links 33extend obliquely from the ends of the mold-casting and hook overinclined projections 34 on the front and back edges of the foot-formshank. These links will preferably be detachable and may be simpleelongated steel rings, as in Figs. 1 and 4, having africtionalengagement with the projections 34. In Fig. 3 the link is shown in twoparts terminally looped to engage the mold and said projections, and theintermediate adjacent portions are reversely threaded and joined by aturnbuckle or right and left hand nut 35 to vary the length whendesired. Fig. 3 also shows a tightening device comprising U- shapedswinging members 36, pivoted to the foot-form shank, and thumb-screws37, working centrally through them and bearing againstlinks 33 toadvance them along the inclines 34.

In order to locate the mold, foot-form, and shoe with exactness whenplaced in the machine, I provide corresponding tapering centeringdevices 38 of suitable form in the bottom plate 14 and mold 15. Figs. 1,2, 3, and 4 illustrate such guiding projections and recesses of anelongated pyramidal character.

Figs. 2 and 6 represent on each side of the space occupied by the moldthe bottom plate 14 as provided with a filling 39 of material which is apoor conductor of heat, so as to lessen any liability to injury of theupper leather of the shoe by unnecessary conduction or radiation of heatfrom the steam-platen 11.

Figs. 1 and 4 show vertical guides 40 erected on the bottom plate 14closely adjacent to the edges of the clamps 21 and serving to give themlateral support and avoid any undue strain on their adjusting-screws.

My present invention, wherein the footform and mold are togetherremovable with the shoe from the other apparatus, should bedistinguished from that set forth in my United State Patent N o. 762,024, dated June 7, 1904, in which the top and bottom plates and theclamping and pressure devices were removable with the foot-form, shoe,and mold from the vulcanizing-press. The clamps in said patentedapparatus were mounted to slide in swinging frames and not, as now,separately pivoted on hinge members which are actuated by separatescrews through upright flanges on the bottom plate.

I claim as my invention 1. In shoe-sole vulcanizing and applyingapparatus, the foot-form and sole-containing mold, removable togetherfrom the edgeclamps and other apparatus, and provided with means forsecuring them to each other with the shoe-sole in position between them,whereby the said parts may be quickly detached and allowed to coolslowly while others are substituted therefor, substantially as setforth.

2. The foot-form and sole-containing mold, removable together from theedge-clamps and other apparatus, and adjustable connecting means forsecuring the mold-casting to the stem of the foot-form, with the shoe inposition for treatment, substantially as set forth.

3. In shoe-sole vulcanizing and applying apparatus, parallel bottom andtop plates with adjustable clamp and pressure devices connectedrespectively thereto, in combination with a mold and foot-formconforming terminally to said plates, removable together therefrom andadapted to hold the shoe-bottom upon the rubber in the mold, with theclamps in proper marginal position, substantially as set forth.

4. The bottom plate, the removable mold definitely located thereon, andadjustable clamps connected to said plate at each side of the mold, incombination with the top plate, grooved hinge-blocks secured thereto andextensible braces hinged to said blocks, and with the foot-form having abroad flattened top with marginal flanges adapted to enter the groovesof the hinge-blocks, whereby the foot-form, shoe and mold are supportedfrom the top plate when the press-platens separate, substantially as setforth.

5. In a shoe-sole vulcanizing and applying apparatus, the bottom plateformed to expose the mold thereon to the full vulcanizing heat of theplaten beneath it, and, at other points having a layer of non-conductingmaterial interposed between said plate and platen, to reduce conductionof heat upwardly, substantially as set forth.

6. In a shoe-sole vulcanizing and applying apparatus, the bottom plateformed with upright marginal ears and carrying a central sole-shapedmold, in combination with separately-hinged adjustable clamps conformingto the sole edge, each clamp resting at the hinge on the bottom plateand With adjustingscrews engaging said ears and one member of the hinge,substantially as set forth.

7. A sole-mold casting having hook-like ends and a foot-form havinghooK-like projections on its shank or stem, in combination with linksarranged to connect said hook-like portions temporarily, themold-casting being formed With a centering device corresponding With oneon the bottom plate of the machine to tacilitate removal and accuratereplacing of such molds, substantially as set forth.

8. in a shoe-sole vulcanizing and applying apparatus, the bottom plate,vertical clampguides formed thereon, and adjustable clamps for the soleedge arranged between said guides, in combination with a sole-shapedmold located on the bottom plate between the opposing clamp edges, afoot-form supported from the upper plate adapted to present the shoethereon upon the rubber in the mold, and with yielding pressure devicesdepending from the upper plate and bearing on said clamps, substantiallyas set forth.

ln testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

UrlflOttUrE F. BUllltltFlELD. Witnesses:

A. H. SPENCER, H. W. LADD.

